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My wife heard this on the news and wanted to know how it happened. I hadn't heard the story, but I said that it should have been bolted down and it wasn't. They just rolled it out on an appliance dolly.  They did have to know that he had a gun safe, though. I wonder how they knew that.

If you can, ditch windows entirely and go to Linux.   I've been using computers since 1981 and the Tandy TRS 80.  After leaving the TRS80, I moved to DOS and then eventually to windows. (I owned a couple of Macs in the past 10 years but didn't like them.) But after upgrading to Windows 8 in Oct, 2012, it made everything harder to do.  I put up with it for 2 months and then replaced Windows with Linux Mint 14.   I've since loaded Linux on four computers. It's faster, less hassles, and virus free.  No more annoying slow-downs while the virus software checks a website or download.   It's been 10 months and I've had no problems with any of the four computers... three with Linux Mint 14 and one with Linux Mint 15. I'm typing this on a Linux OS laptop right now.   EDITED: Oh, and it's blazing fast on my old Dell that's... guessing... 8 years old.

Thanks. I just signed up.

I'm all for this. What can I do?  When are the primaries?  I will personally drive, coerce, or shame 10 of my neighbors and friends to vote in the primary.  How can I get involved?

I love the BLF website. Here's a link to some beamshots with a couple dozen LED flashlights. http://budgetlightforum.com/node/23875   Scroll down until you see the photos. The first banner is 300 meters away, so you can find a light the will meet your criteria.  Keep in mind that the wider the beam, the more it's going to destroy your night vision, so there is a trade off in lighting up everything up close and seeing something far away. I was surprised to see that the Jacob A60 I mentioned can in fact light up the banner 300 meters away. The spot is so tiny that when walking the dogs, it seems dimmer than my other lights because it only has that pencil thin bright spot. When looking a distance through gaps in the trees, a super narrow beam is an asset because you won't get light reflected back at you from nearby trees.  I hope this helps. A comparison of several lights at night is a lot better than comparing "lumens" rating, which can be all over the place.

I have this light... a Jacob A60. It cost $16 from WallBuys in China, but shipping takes about three weeks.   http://wallbuys.com/Product/Jacob-A60-Cree-XR-E-Q5-3-Mode-310-LM-White-LED-Flashlight-Torch-wStrapBlack1x18650--8738   It puts out a tight spot surrounded by a weaker circle of light. I'd say the spot is maybe 6 feet at 100 yards. It's very bright at 100 yards. I just went out outside to check. At 200 yards, you could probably see a coyote, assuming you were looking through a scope.  I don't think it would reach 300 yards. I also have a Defiant 3c from Home Depot that puts out the same brightness, but a bigger spot... maybe 15 ft at 100 yards. It's a big 3 C-cell LED flashlight.  It might reach 300 yards, but I doubt it. I don't have a clear field of vision from my yard to see that far... sorry.   I suggest you go to http://budgetlightforum.com/  and search for spotlight or "throw" as they call it. You'll find beam shots and user reviews of inexpensive lights. It's a friendly place and you can ask the same question that other newbies have asked 4 times over the past year and you'll get helpful responses. Except for the throwers, which can go up to $200, they seldom review lights that cost more than $50-80. Most are in the $30 range.   If you'd prefer to pay a lot more than $50-$80, go to candle power forum. They only review expensive lights and the moderators are like the SoupNazi guy in Seinfeld. You have to strictly follow their rules and THE RULES ARE NUMBERED... You'll get a nasty post saying you've violated rule #23 with your question.

Sorry to hear about the theft, but thanks for posting here. It'll remind us all to be more careful about parking.

My wife and I are looking at a house for sale, but it has a swimming pool. I don't like hate swimming pools. They're dangerous, expensive and time consuming to maintain.  It's a small pool and a lot narrower than a normal in-ground swimming pool. There is also a spa nearby. I have no use for it either, but a spa can be covered so it's not quite the eyesore of an empty or algae-filled swimming pool.   What can I do with this pool?

I read your post twice to make sure you didn't own this bike before posting this.   That is one ugly bike. :down: :down: :down:

I remember leaving my class ten years ago thinking, "Wow, I really, really don't want to be forced to shoot someone" after being told what would likely happen if we were ever involved in a shooting.  I think that was a good attitude to instill in HCP holders.   Sure, you don't want to hesitate if your life is in danger, but you don't want to put yourself in a position to potentially escalate a conflict with a cowboy attitude. Anyway, good luck with your classes... teach them to be responsible and make the rest of us HCP holders proud!

I just logged in to see if there were any additional posts... and I had another thought.   In secluded areas (rural, I assume), you might investigate a noise that turns out to be a four-legged predator (a coyote) that needs to be permanently removed. My neighbor has an outdoor cat, we have docile turkeys and raccoons that we'd like to keep around. If a coyote shows up at 30 yards, you're not going to hit it with a 9mm Kel Tec and probably not with a 22 pistol. For that, you need a shotgun with buckshot or a 22 rifle at a minimum.  Or, you might find a rattlesnake by your kid's sandbox. Or, you might find a rabid raccoon.  Ask some questions here. Then, go to a gun show. Buy a used shotgun for $200-$300, keep it until you no longer need it, sell it for what you paid for it. You can get a decent used pump shotgun for $200-$350.  The Circuit Judge I bought (used) only costs $459 at WalMart.

You can carry in a place that serves alcohol as long as you don't consume alcohol.  You cannot carry in a place if you consume alcohol while there.   However, you can carry before and after going into that establishment as long as you are not under the influence.   I go out for dinner with friends almost every week. I'll leave my gun in the car, go in, have dinner and a beer, come out, and I usually leave my gun handy on the passenger seat under a towel. It's very rare that I would stop or get out of the car again, but if I do, I'm carrying my gun. The only place I might stop is our local rural gas station and half the patrons there are carrying too.   I'm not going to be drunk with one beer. I'm not out at 3am, like the guy in the article. I'm usually home by 9PM.

Thanks for sharing the photos. 

Robert, I share your pain at the loss of Millie. We found a stray basset hound wandering in our field about 9 years ago. We took her in, fed her, and placed a lost and found ad in the paper. What a sweet dog! It turned out that she had run off from home about 6 miles from us... probably chasing a deer scent and got lost. We had her for a week and she was a joy to be around.   We have had and lost four dogs over the past 40 years. Know this. The pain will go away, but the warm memories will last for the rest of your life.   When the right time comes, please check with Freedom Farms Animal Sanctuary or East Nashville rescue to find the dog that's waiting for you. My wife and I have fostered seven dogs and cats for Freedom Farms to help find them good homes.  About 9 years ago, our cat passed away. A few weeks later, I was reading the paper one Saturday morning and a classified ad said there was going to be a pet adoption at Petsmart up by Rivergate Mall. I had a premonition that we HAD to go there. I told my wife to stop what she was doing and let's get in the car. We drove there and when we went in the store I looked over at the cages. From across the room, one cat made eye contact with me. He kept eye contact all the way across the room. Well, we adopted that cat from Freedom Farms 9 years ago and named him Watcher. For the very first day, it was as if we had known each other forever... such an odd but wonderful feeling. He is still with us today and still watching.   So, sorry to ramble, but I'm just trying to say we share your loss and your pain. Pets are very special... very special.

First, welcome to TGO. It's a nice group of people and a very good forum. Forgive me, but it sounds like you might not be too knowledgeable about guns for use in home defense, so let me add a few points you might not have considered.   In a secluded area, there are times when you might go outside to check out a strange noise. In those circumstances, you need a long gun because if you go outside and find yourself needing a gun, it's likely to be dark and your target is likely to be more than 30 feet away.  Hitting a target in the dark at greater than 30 feet is a much greater challenge with a handgun than a rifle or shotgun.   I would suggest a shotgun as your primary home defense weapon and a 40 caliber semiauto(s) as backup. I'm a small guy and my wife has arthritis. I settled on a 410 Circuit Judge shotgun. Basically, it's a 5 shot revolver action with a long barrel and a short shotgun stock loaded with home defense rounds. I chose it over a 12 gauge because I think I can fire it, acquire a second target, and fire again faster than I could with a 12 gauge pump. If I just need to go outside to see what someone is doing on the road, I might grab a 40 cal in a clip on holster to stick discretely on my hip before walking down to see what's going on.    Also, I've never been a fan in owning only one gun, or only two guns, or only three guns. Unless you have a gun on your person at all times, it might not be close when you need it. Guns don't depreciate very much, so having $500 in a good used handgun or shotgun is about the same as having $500 in the bank... provided you don't need that $500!  If you live in a two story house and keep your handgun by your bedside, what happens if someone breaks in while you're downstairs?  "Umm, WAIT!!! I have to go up and get my gun!"  I personally don't like to be more than 5 seconds away from a loaded gun at all times. I know it sounds paranoid, but nothing makes you feel more impotent than hearing a noise and having to scramble all over the house to get your gun. Of course, I don't have kids. If I had kids, I'd have to rethink my approach. (By the way, I had a cousin who was killed in a home invasion about 4 years ago. The investigation indicated he was trying to get to his gun when he was killed. If he had a gun closer, or on his person, he might have survived.)   Again, welcome to TGO!  Feel free to post any questions. We'll do our best to provide multiple opinions!

To know a dog is to know unconditional love.

I'm sorry. Rereading my post, it's misleading. I don't want the ultimate bug out bag. I want to shelter in place.  What are the things I need to shelter in place? I have the following...   - spring water - 300 gallon(?) propane tank for cooking and heat - AR, shotgun, handgun, tactical lights, 22lr with scope - A big dog and a small barky dog to wake up the big dog! - Maybe a month's supply of food for the two of us and our dogs. - battery powered radio

I've read a bit about bug out bags, but the wife really can't walk long distances and we're probably safer in our rural home than most anywhere else. That said, what would you consider to be your must have SHTF gear?  Let's assume a scenario where there is no electricity and no cell phone service.   One thing I don't have is any form of communication past my cell phone. Should we get walkie talkies, hand-held CBs? Ham radio doesn't seem to practical to me since so few people have them.

The take away here, in my opinion, is that we are just one little electronic glitch away from chaos.

Nice setup. I like hope you can move it around to find the best spot.   I bought this 60 led light at northern tools. It's not the same as yours.  http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200478116_200478116   I'm disappointed. It's plenty enough light for a doorway, stairs, or parking area, but it's not as bright as I had hoped.

I'm in.   Cannondale SystemSix carbon (road) Redline D620 (mountain)

Nashville is a nice place. Welcome to the city and to TGO.

Just so everyone knows, very little research is being done to find a "cure" for cancer. I researched this for a scientist who wrote a book about it a while back. My pet peeve are those American Cancer Society "Race for the Cure" marathon where very little of the funds raised goes to cancer research and even less to finding a cure.    Cancer is big business.  That's not to said they are hiding cures, it's just that cure research is a very low priority. Overwhelmingly, most cancer research is on drugs that treat some symptom of cancer that's then sold for big bucks to each patient (and paid for mostly by Medicare). It's true that survival rates have improved due to early detection and some treatments, but finding a cure really isn't a priority for medical research.

These spiders are everywhere in the woods now. I see a couple every time I run Beamon Park early in the morning and a couple when I walk the dog.  I'm pretty sure it's this species. I have one outside on my downspout by the kitchen as I type this.

I'm pretty sure you can carry in Bells Bend and Beamon Metro Parks. I think that they were exceptions to the rule.